Pain wracks Edelgard's body as she runs through the dungeons, shooting wild, terrified glances over her shoulder. The constant squeaking and shuffling of the rats are drowned out by the furious voices of adult men, and the child knows that if they catch her, they will kill her.
Like they had Hilde and Manny and Audeca and –
A rough hand grabs Edelgard's shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts, and a tidal wave of fear floods through her as the world suddenly seems to freeze.
"Oh my. You're certainly in a predicament, child."
Edelgard can do nothing but gape as reality fades away and her surroundings grow dark. A green light pierces the gloom, and the same defiance that made Edelgard flee the dungeons in the first place grabs her. As she turns towards the source of the light, she refuses to cower. She'd rather die fighting than waste away in her own filth like her siblings had. Some of the tension leaves her spine, however, when she sees it's just a girl around her age. The stranger's bizarre clothes and pointed ears give Edelgard pause, however. Breath catching in her throat, the princess clenches her fists. The girl doesn't look like the pale men who cut Edelgard and her siblings up, but she clearly isn't human. That means she's probably an enemy.
Instead of looking at her like a bug to be stepped on though, the girl on the throne watches Edelgard with something akin to bemusement, which quickly fades to… worry.
"… and somehow, you seemed to have dragged me into it too." Throne girl sighs. "Still, I suppose that doesn't seem to be your fault. Tell me, who are you?"
"Edelgard von Hresvelg." She glares. "If you're with them, I won't let you take me!"
Throne girl wrinkles her nose. "Good grief, do I look like the sort of ruffian who'd hurt some human child?" Smiling, she rises to her feet. "You can call me Sothis, girl. But I am also known as… the Beginning."
The words hit Edelgard like a slap to the face. "Y-you're the Goddess?"
A tidal wave of conflicted emotions hit her. Edelgard doesn't want to be dead. She doesn't want to be in pain any longer either. The Goddess is real, she exists. Unless this is just some dream Edelgard's fraying mind concocted, that is. Beyond the confusion though, there is anger. If you're the Goddess, then why? We prayed for you, but you never came. Why didn't you help us? Why did you leave us to suffer?
"Goddess?" A flash of confusion crosses Sothis' face and hits Edelgard in the stomach like a sack of bricks. "What on earth are you prattling on about?"
…..
It becomes painfully clear that Sothis is very much real when she teaches Edelgard how to use the Divine Pulse. It also becomes painfully clear that she's no god when they fail to escape anyway. The two children – or one not-so-child – spend hours rewinding time, desperately trying to find Edelgard a route to freedom. No matter what they do though, she is always recaptured in the end. Always.
Eventually, Sothis hits her limit, and Edelgard is brought back to her cell. The scent of rot and bile made her new head-mate gag, which is odd, in a way - the princess has grown so used to the stench, that it barely registers anymore.
Days pass, and the last of Edelgard's siblings slips away mere hours before the men who tortured them realise that she's manifested the Crest of Flames. The Goddess' crest. Sothis is horrified as she realises all of this depravity was committed to try and capture but a fleeting echo of her so-called power.
Initially, most of the not-Goddess' ire is focused on the people Hubert dubs 'Those Who Slither in the Dark', but Edelgard differs.
"You don't understand." Edelgard sighs, pacing in her room in the Palace as she argues with a child only she can see. "If it wasn't for the Church and the emphasis it puts on Crests, the monstrosities committed against my family… they never would have been permitted to begin with. Those Who Slither in the Dark are mere agitators taking advantage of an inherently corrupt system, not the ones who created and perpetrated it to begin with."
It takes a little while for Sothis to warm up to fighting against the Church dedicated to her own worship, but it happens eventually. The bigotry the Church of Seiros implicitly promotes against foreigners, the way Crestless commoners starve on the streets while nobles hold luxury balls, the promises of salvation to those who pray even though Sothis physically cannot answer their calls…
The green-haired girl takes no pleasure in violence, but she's canny enough to recognise that violence isn't just acts of war.
…..
While the Divine Pulse failed to save Edelgard from the dungeons, it definitely comes in use. Diplomatic conversations gone wrong could be redone, locations could be scouted and her presence erased, and of course, it's very handy in a fight.
It was a secret kept close to her chest – Thales and his men are ignorant of the true extent of Edelgard's powers, along with the deity who lives in her head. It's faintly amusing in a way, listening to all their talk about destroying the Goddess' legacy as she's floating barely three metres away from them. Sothis poked her tongue out at the pale-skinned man during a meeting once, and they'd had to Divine Pulse as Edelgard burst out laughing. It was worth it, though.
The only one she ever tells the truth to is Hubert. It takes a very long time for Edelgard to convince him that she hasn't just lost her mind, but she succeeds in the end. As Sothis says, she's a stubborn one. Hubert is thankful that the green-haired girl had tried to save Edelgard, even though it didn't work in the end. That still doesn't stop him from heckling Sothis via proxy whenever he gets the chance, much to Edelgard's annoyance.
On a fateful night in Remire, the Divine Pulse comes in handy yet again. As Kostas – the fool – charges her way, Edelgard curses, withdrawing her dagger. Before the vagabond can strike, however, footsteps pound against the grass, and Jeralt's daughter throws herself between Edelgard and the blade.
Oh, bollocks. Wincing, Edelgard reaches towards Sothis's power as the axe rushes towards the woman, and reality shatters.
"You fool!" The green-haired girl shrieks at her the second Edelgard freezes time and returns to the throne room they first met. "What were you thinking, discarding your axe like that? Are you trying to get us – or Goddess forbid, someone else – killed!?"
"I'm sorry, Sothis." The princess grits her teeth, well aware she deserves the admonishment.
Rewinding time, Edelgard doesn't drop her axe and chases off Kostas herself. The mercenary woman – Byleth – keeps shooting her odd glances all evening.
…..
Edelgard's not exactly sure why, but she finds herself drawn to Byleth. And no, it's not just because she's an attractive woman. Perhaps it's lingering guilt after the mercenary almost died for her. Perhaps it's gratitude, that this woman is willing to sacrifice her life for a complete stranger. Either way, she lingers by her side as they walk to the Monastery, like a moth to flame.
Byleth then chooses the Golden Deer, and it's like a knife has been stabbed into Edelgard's heart.
She ignores Sothis' cries of sympathy and instead focuses on her goals. It's not like Edelgard came to Garreg Mach to indulge in a trivial crush, anyway.
The Black Eagles lose the mock battle, and Edelgard resists the temptation to rewind time and show Byleth that she made the wrong decision.
Despite knowing it's stupid though – Byleth's time spent amongst the Golden Deer will certainly draw her to the Alliance's side once war breaks out – Edelgard still finds herself sitting near the woman during dinners anyway.
Oddly enough, Byleth keeps hanging out with her too.
The reason for their unusual connection becomes apparent the day the Holy Mausoleum is raided, and Byleth picks up the Sword of the Creator.
Both Edelgard and Sothis are sent reeling by the revelation. Byleth has the Crest of Flames. That was why there was this strange draw between them. They are the same. Given the strange, almost anticipatory way Rhea keeps looking at Byleth, Edelgard's incredibly unsettled by the implications of that.
"Talk to her." Sothis urges one evening.
"Hubert would be mad." Edelgard frowns. "Besides, it's too risky."
She can vividly imagine the not-so-goddess rolling her eyes. "Everything you do is risky, Edelgard. This is hardly any worse than your other stunts. Besides…" Sothis' voice turns mischievous. "If things go wrong, we can always undo them!"
This time, it's Edelgard's turn to look sceptical. "And yet, you were the one who complained when I wanted to use the Divine Pulse to win the mock battle."
In the end, Edelgard talks to Byleth. She talks about the long nights in the dungeons along the slow deaths of her siblings, and shows the former mercenary the Crest that also runs through her veins. Byleth – stoic, reserved, blank-faced Byleth – watches her with horror, not understanding. Edelgard's not sure if she feels disappointed or relieved.
It's then, though, that Byleth narrows her eyes. "Who did this?"
The genuine fury in the professor's shaking shoulders is oddly touching, so Edelgard gives her a redacted version of the truth. Still, there's nothing Byleth can really do about the nobles running Adrestia, and the teacher knows that too.
"Maybe we should ask her for help." Sothis murmurs once they return to their room. "She was certainly enraged by your treatment."
"What's the point?" Edelgard sighs. "The professor… she isn't like me after all, for better or worse. She won't understand."
...
Even knowing that Byleth's Crest wasn't tortured into her does little to mitigate just how sinister Rhea's treatment of the professor looks.
…..
The Battle of the Eagle and the Lion comes, and Edelgard uses the Divine Pulse regardless of Sothis' complaints. As the delighted Black Eagles party in the dining hall, the Golden Deer's professor approaches her.
"You fought well." Byleth smiles. It's not a graceful one – in fact, it makes her look a bit like a puppy. Whenever Edelgard sees that rare, fleeting expression, a part of her melts. "It's almost like you predicted my every move."
This time, it's Edelgard's turn to grin, expression growing coy. "Perhaps I can see into the future, Professor. Regret choosing the Golden Deer now?"
"Ugh." Sothis whispers in the back of her mind "Your sense of humour is abominable."
Instantly, the smile drops off Byleth's face, and Edelgard feels a wave of guilt. Before she can apologise for the quip though, the professor speaks.
"I love my students. They're good kids. But…" When she turns back to Edelgard, her eyes seem to bore into her soul. "There's a connection we share that I don't feel with them." Byleth frowns, still looking like a puppy, but a kicked one. "Claude's friendly, but he never opens up to me."
Edelgard's guilt takes a different turn. She never opened up to Byleth either, not really.
…..
Jeralt dies, and Edelgard curses. She tries to undo it with the Divine Pulse, but it's not enough – Thales or Kronya always slaughter him before she ever reaches his side. Sothis has always warned her that some things were fated to be, but Edelgard doesn't believe in fate. Though, perhaps that's not true. The Goddess exists, but she is a creator and nothing more. Perhaps fate exists too, but it's something that can always be broken. Edelgard refuses to accept that she's a mere actor playing their designated role.
The incident has two ramifications. Firstly, the Knights of Seiros kick their search for the Flame Emperor into overdrive. Secondly, whatever chance there is of an alliance between Edelgard and Rhea's chosen is destroyed. The white-haired teen can't help but think Thales did this purely out of spite - a reminder that despite all of her power, she's still under his control.
...
Barely a month later, Edelgard discovers that yes, fate can be broken. The Golden Deer charge after Kronya and Byleth gets sealed into the endless void that is Zahras.
"This will be dangerous beyond compare." Sothis warns her as a red-eyed Edelgard returns to the realm between dream and reality where the goddess dwells.
"I don't care."
"Hubert wouldn't approve of it if he knew what you were doing. After all, you've said it yourself – Byleth is potentially a target that will need to be eliminated."
"I think I prefer it when you two are at each other's throats." Edelgard quips, before swallowing. "If Byleth must die, she dies with honour. Not like… this."
Sothis watches her evenly, but eventually nods. They travel a full twenty-four hours back in time, and as Edelgard's older soul is slammed into her younger body, she almost vomits.
Her nausea doesn't prevent her from charging after the professor, and insisting she join the Golden Deer as they face down Kronya. Rhea tries to forbid her, and throwing caution to the wind, Edelgard bluntly states that she's doing this regardless of the Archbishop's opinion. The woman's eyes turn to slits at her impertinence, but Byleth comes to the princess' defence.
"I don't mind." The professor glances at the Black Eagle, something unreadable in her eyes. "Edelgard's strong. I believe in her."
As Kronya taunts her before dashing off into the forest, Byleth chases after the woman. Before she can get too far though, Edelgard tackles her to the ground.
"Get off me!" The former mercenary roars as she squirms under the Adrestian's bulky armour. "She has to pay!"
"You're right, she does, but not like this!" The teenager snaps. "You're smarter than this, Professor – this is blatantly a trap!"
In the end, a crying Leonie fills the assassin with arrows as Claude takes down a highly confused Solon, unexpectedly deprived of his prey. After the fight, as they examine the clearing the dark mage resided in and find sigils of dark magic cleverly disguised on the ground, Byleth pales.
Unfortunately, defying fate has a price. Exhaustion rushes up on Edelgard like a hurricane, and she blacks out before she even hits the ground.
As she awakens in the throne room, Sothis gives her a ten-minute lecture. Hubert gives her another one the second she reawakens in the infirmary. What Manuela has to say to Edelgard is more interesting, however.
Apparently, Byleth was the one to carry her there.
…..
As the year nears its end, Rhea takes Byleth and her class to the Holy Tomb, and Edelgard realises the time to unmask the Flame Emperor is upon them. With the aid of Those Who Slither in the Dark, slipping after the processional party is easy.
Rhea instructs Byleth to sit on the throne – the very same throne Edelgard has been dreaming of for years – to receive a revelation from the Goddess. The very concept makes Edelgard sick. Is this what Rhea was preparing Byleth for? To become an avatar – a puppet – of the Goddess to usher in a new, unholy age?
Naturally, no such revelation comes – Sothis is too busy whispering 'yeesh, this is awkward' in Edelgard's ear. It's a pity, in a way – maybe if Sothis herself could decry the Church's actions and decrees, so much bloodshed could be averted.
What happens instead though is that Edelgard strikes. It doesn't go well. Byleth – Sword of the Creator in hand – sweeps through Metody and his men like butter, and while some of her soldiers manage to flee, Edelgard herself gets surrounded.
"Well, this certainly could have gone better." Sothis snarks as Byleth stares at her with wide eyes and Rhea screeches about blasphemy, her madness fully unmasked.
"Lady Edelgard." Hubert clears his throat. "If you could…?"
"Right." Her Crest begins to flare as she prepares the Divine Pulse.
Before she can skip a few hours backwards though, Byleth suddenly steps forward. "Wait."
"Do not bother to speak with this infidel." Rhea snarls. "She has defiled the Holy Tomb, dishonoured the Goddess, and humiliated her brethren! That crime will never be erased, even if she burns in the eternal flames and spills all of her blood into the Goddess's soil!"
Byleth – and a few of the students, to boot – shoot Rhea a slightly disturbed look, but ultimately ignore her rant.
"The Goddess…" The teacher murmurs instead. "I know everyone thinks I am her second coming, but that's not true, is it? Because she's with you, Edelgard."
Rhea whirls on Byleth, apoplectic with rage. "What?!"
"I don't hear any voices. I don't have any powers, except for this sword. But you… you do, don't you?" The professor watches her as Edelgard's blood runs cold.
"Preposterous." Hubert scoffs, but he clearly doesn't hide the tremor in his voice well enough, and Claude's eyes immediately narrow. "Why on earth would Lady Edelgard have any connection to the Goddess? We seek to destroy everything her Church stands for."
In the back of Edelgard's brain, Sothis huffs. "It's hardly my Church, thank you very much."
Byleth, meanwhile, gives Hubert an even stare. "Because she has the Crest of Flames too. Because she's the one who the Goddess whispers to when they think they're alone. Because she's the one that can rewind time."
At that statement, even Rhea's anger is overtaken with bewilderment.
"That's…" Edelgard's voice trails off, mouth dry. "How? How long have you known?"
This time, the professor's focus lands solely on her. "I think I noticed it first when I tried to save you from Kostas. I thought I was just daydreaming though. It kept on happening, however, but then…" Byleth's eyes cloud over as her mind goes somewhere that isn't here. It's an expression Edelgard's seen before, but not on the professor's face. "But then Zahras happened. I knew it for sure then."
Murmurs break out amongst the gathered knights and students. What Byleth was saying must sound preposterous to any outsiders, and yet not everyone's expression is sceptical. Claude's clearly running calculations in his mind, while Lysithea has turned a unique shade of green.
"So why?" Byleth tilts her head, unperturbed by the whispers surrounding them. "Why does the Goddess want you to do this?"
"Sit upon the throne." Sothis whispers into her ear, and for the first time ever, Edelgard can feel the Goddess' breath on her neck. "Let me tell them why Fódlan's status quo must come to an end."